Edouard Bastarache Inc. on sun 14 jan 07
Subject: History about the Middle Finger!
HAVE YOU EVER RECIEVED
THIS SIGN, DID YOU DESERVE
IT?
History about the Middle Finger!
Isn't history more fun when you know something
about it?
/'_-/)
/ _ /
/ /
/'_'/' '/'__'/','/'
/'/ / / / /_\
('( ' ' _ > \
\ |
\ ' /
'\' \ _./'
\ \
\ \
Giving the Finger
Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the
French,
anticipating victory over the English, proposed
to
cut off the middle finger of all captured English
soldiers. Without the middle finger it would be
impossible to draw the renowned English longbow
and therefore be incapable of fighting in the
future.
This famous weapon was made of the native English
Yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was
known as "plucking the yew" (or "pluck yew").
Much to the bewilderment of the French, the
English
won a major upset and began mocking the French by
waving their middle fingers at the defeated
French,
saying, "See, we can still pluck yew! "PLUCK
YEW!"
Since 'pluck yew' is rather difficult to say, the
difficult
consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually
changed
to a labiodental fricative 'F', and thus the
words often
used in conjunction with the one-finger-salute!
It is also because of the pheasant feathers on
the arrows
used w/ the longbow that the symbolic gesture is
known
as "giving the bird."
And yew thought yew knew everything, isn't it
interesting
how history repeats itself!!
Edouard Bastarache
Le Français Volant
The Flying Frenchman
Sorel-Tracy
Quebec
www.sorel-tracy.qc.ca/~edouardb/Welcome.html
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/smart2000/index.htm
http://www.pshcanada.com/Toxicology.htm
www.thepottersshop.blogspot.com
http://www.ceramique.com/cerambooks/rayons/technologie.php
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30058682@N00/
Alistair Gillies on sun 14 jan 07
hmmmm - not so sure about this one.
In England we are told that the two fingered salute was the one drived fr=
om=20
the pulling action on a bow - the nasty French used to surgically remove =
the=20
two fingers of bow men so that they could not pull the bow - flicking the=
=20
French the V across the battle field was the way of showing that these=20
fingers were intact - I don't think that one finger would have been stron=
g=20
enough to pull a bow - and why only use one?
The whole package below seems a bit too convenient to be history!
best,
Alistair
Ironbridge Gorge, England
----- Original Message -----=20
From: "Edouard Bastarache Inc."
To:
Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2007 3:31 PM
Subject: History of the Middle Finger
> Subject: History about the Middle Finger!
>
> HAVE YOU EVER RECIEVED
> THIS SIGN, DID YOU DESERVE
> IT?
>
> History about the Middle Finger!
>
> Isn't history more fun when you know something
> about it?
>
> /'_-/)
> / _ /
> / /
> /'_'/' '/'__'/','/'
> /'/ / / / /_\
> ('( ' ' _ > \
> \ |
> \ ' /
> '\' \ _./'
> \ \
> \ \
> Giving the Finger
>
> Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the
> French,
> anticipating victory over the English, proposed
> to
> cut off the middle finger of all captured English
> soldiers. Without the middle finger it would be
> impossible to draw the renowned English longbow
> and therefore be incapable of fighting in the
> future.
>
> This famous weapon was made of the native English
> Yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was
> known as "plucking the yew" (or "pluck yew").
>
> Much to the bewilderment of the French, the
> English
> won a major upset and began mocking the French by
> waving their middle fingers at the defeated
> French,
> saying, "See, we can still pluck yew! "PLUCK
> YEW!"
>
> Since 'pluck yew' is rather difficult to say, the
> difficult
> consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually
> changed
> to a labiodental fricative 'F', and thus the
> words often
> used in conjunction with the one-finger-salute!
>
> It is also because of the pheasant feathers on
> the arrows
> used w/ the longbow that the symbolic gesture is
> known
> as "giving the bird."
>
> And yew thought yew knew everything, isn't it
> interesting
> how history repeats itself!!
>
>
>
>
> Edouard Bastarache
> Le Fran=E7ais Volant
> The Flying Frenchman
>
> Sorel-Tracy
> Quebec
> www.sorel-tracy.qc.ca/~edouardb/Welcome.html
> http://perso.wanadoo.fr/smart2000/index.htm
> http://www.pshcanada.com/Toxicology.htm
> www.thepottersshop.blogspot.com
> http://www.ceramique.com/cerambooks/rayons/technologie.php
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/30058682@N00/
>
> _______________________________________________________________________=
_______
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at=20
> melpots@pclink.com.
>=20
Maurice Weitman on sun 14 jan 07
There are many versions of this, but mostly it seems that Edouard's
is a bit mythical.
One may check out this "stoopid question" page:
http://archives.stupidquestion.net/sq51100finger.html
Hey, Bass... if a potter uses finger/hand gestures from more than one
country, will that delay the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome?
Regards,
Maurice
| |
|
